Baptism

Baptism Significance

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.” Romans 6:1-7

When you accept Christ and get baptized a shift is happening we are relating with Christ’s death. The old self that is self centered and ruled by sin gets put to the outside.

The old self must die. Baptism is important because the water becomes a watery tomb that our selfishness goes down into. When you rise up that watery tomb has now become a watery womb in which your new self rises. It is a demonstration and proclamation to your church body that you are putting the old self to the outside and putting Christ in the middle. (Notice that the old self does not disappear, it just gets put to the outside.)

Your primary reality goes from being about you to being about Christ.

The self centered “old self” is ruled by sin and flesh while the “new self” is ruled by the Spirit.

In verse 4 from the scripture above, Paul uses the word “through” which is the Greek word DIA which means that baptism is the agency in which this takes place.

FAQs About Baptism

If you have made a commitment to Christ and you intend on pursuing Him your whole life, Baptism is strongly encouraged in the Bible (John 3:5, Galatians 3:27, Ephesians 4:5).

It is by faith that we receive Jesus, but it is baptism that shows the faith, deepens it, and confirms it.

Baptism is like a wedding ceremony. It does not need to happen in order for someone to get married but it brings a deeper meaning to it. Vows are exchanged and commitments are made. The same is true in baptism. We are making vows to Christ. You can have faith without baptism just like you can have a marriage without a ceremony.

Christianity is by faith alone, but baptism is an important place where faith is confirmed and deepened.

The short answer is yes. Infant baptism is not entirely useless. Anytime you come together with those intentions for a baby it is obviously valuable. Unfortunately, it does not adequately capture what baptism signifies.

Baptism is God embracing us by faith, claiming us as His own, and we are committing ourselves to love Him back so infant baptism only partially captures it because an infant cannot make the decision out of his or her own free will.

Although you may not have felt like that the baptism meant much to you at the time. It obviously meant something to God because He kept pursuing you after. Another baptism may not be necessary. Instead, take communion with a feeling of being back at the Lord’s Table.

Baptism is not a quick fix. It will not cure you of all of your problems. Your old self will always try to come back into the middle, but the Christian walk is all about staying close to the Lord so that you can keep Him in the center, always persevering to keep your old self out and Christ in the middle.

When you find yourself struggling with Sin, remind yourself, “Thats not me anymore”.

Ask yourself consistently, “What still has to die in me for Christ to become alive more vibrantly in my life?” What do you have to bury that is not buried yet? Christ cannot be more vibrant in your life if you do not make room for Him.